


Spies, Guns and Romance

by BellaLovesBooks



Category: Carry On - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Adventure, Baker!Simon, Gradually falling in love, M/M, Spies, secret agents, spy!baz
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-01-26
Packaged: 2018-09-16 20:41:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9288827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BellaLovesBooks/pseuds/BellaLovesBooks
Summary: “So… Tell me again why you’re speeding off road, away from civilisation in my car that you stole, with a dead man’s lap-top and a handful of mint aeros in you’re your freakishly large bag?”He rolled his eyes.__________________Or, Baz is a secret agent who accidentally (he swears) kidnaps Simon during an escape. Can Simon help him solve the case? And will they realise their feelings for each other before it's too late?





	1. Chapter 1

I snuggled deeper in my swathe of blankets, as Penny softly sang along to the radio. The heater had somehow broken in the car, and it was snowing heavily outside. After it had sputtered and died, (rather dramatically for an inanimate object, I had thought) we had dug out every warm item of clothing and small horde of blankets from the boot. It was somehow cosy and relaxing, just sitting there watching the white stretch of countryside slide by. I could feel myself slowly drifting towards sleep.  
“Have a nap Simon. We’ll be stopping at a gas station soon.” Penny said. I nodded and yawned, and she laughed slightly; She says I yawn like a bear. I closed my eyes and was quickly lulled to sleep by the gentle sway of the car.

It seemed I was only asleep for a moment when I was jerked awake by the crash of a car door being slammed. I shot up, shaking my head to clear the lingering traces of sleep from my mind. There was a strange man sitting in the driver's’ seat of the car, hastily stashing a handful of mint aeros into a massive bag, the kind that back-packers wore. He was clutching a briefcase and fumbling with the car keys, coaxing the car’s engine awake.  
“Um… Excuse me, but... who the fuck are you?” I asked eloquently, my words slurred with sleep. “I think you’ve gone the wrong car, sorry.”  
He jerked his head to face me, his eyes sharp and his nostrils dilated.  
“Ah, shit,” he swore, but his next words were cut off by a ferocious bang that sliced through the air. The side mirror of the car shattered, cracks spreading from the bullet hole that had torn straight through it. He swore again and kicked the car into action, pulling away from the gas station and swerving straight into the wild bush. I shrieked as more bullets whizzed past the car, shattering a window or lodging itself into a tree. The man drove like a wild animal, swerving tightly to avoid trees and rocks, crashing through fences and rivers.  
“What the hell?” I screamed, but he just glared at the road.  
“Hold this” He ordered, and shoved the briefcase roughly into my lap. The name tag read ‘David Mage’, a name I recognised and knew. But this man couldn’t be David; David’s name had cropped up in the newspapers recently, for being found dead in the steaming remains of a car crash. And besides, David was a middle aged business man, with short hair that must have been red at some point and the beginnings of a beer gut.  
This man looked to be roughly my age, perhaps a little older. His hair was thick and black, hanging in loose waves to his collar, and his eyes were dark grey and hard. His face was drawn with bold lines, written in a strong jaw-line and proud eyebrows arched over peircing eyes. The way his muscles stretched and flexed under his shirt as he manipulated the wheel indicated that he was very fit. Not that I was staring; I just wanted to know how to describe him to the police. He had the look of a dangerous man, a formidable enemy. He looked like a runway model that had turned evil, or an avenging archangel; Beautiful, graceful, dangerous. I almost laughed at myself, except I was too focussed on not screaming like a 3 year old. Luckily, there was a rational part of my brain that was still working.  
I drew my phone from my pocket with shaking hands, opening it to dial. He glanced my way.  
“No! No phones, it would be far too easy for them to track us.” He grabbed my phone and tossed it out of the window as if it were rubbish. I made an outraged cry that sounded embarrassingly like a squawk.  
“Don’t worry, I’ll buy you a new one. I’m sorry, it’s a safety precaution.” I didn’t bother responding, focusing my energy on gripping the car seat to steady myself as we swerved and skidded. I could feel my breath coming fast and heavy as the shock wore off and the fear set in. My heart felt like it was beating one hundred miles per hour, and my palms were sweating. I must have been breathing heavily enough for him to hear, because he turned to me, looking concerned. He slowed the car down slightly, and reached out to touch my cheek. I was too shocked to pull away. His palm was warm, and rough from calluses, and I couldn’t help but somehow feel comforted, grounded by the touch.  
“Relax. I am not going to hurt you. I swear to whatever god or deity you believe in, you are perfectly safe with me.” Surprisingly, I believed him. He sounded so sincere, his eyes wide and showing no traces of conflict from his words.  
He swerved suddenly, the side mirror breaking off and free falling through the air. I gave a little shriek, and he laughed.  
“Sorry. I promise I will fix that.” He said sheepishly, and I laughed shakily.  
“Don’t worry about it, it does that all the time.” There was a long pause, as I got my breath back and he slowed the car again slightly.

“So… Tell me again why you’re speeding off road, away from civilisation in my car that you stole, with a dead man’s lap-top and a handful of mint aeros in you’re your freakishly large bag?”  
He rolled his eyes and aggressively spun the wheel, narrowly avoiding a tree.

“First of all, I didn’t know you were in the car. I stole this one because I needed a four-wheeled drive, and because it was far too easy to steal the keys from your little girl-friend.”  
He smirked at my small intake of breath as the car shook and swerved.

“I was sleeping, obviously,” I gasped. “And she’s not my girlfriend, she’s my sister you idiot. My adoptive sister.” I added at his raised brow. “And besides, that doesn’t explain the laptop, or the chocolate.” He looked at me out of the corner of his eye, sizing me up.

“The laptop belonged to a man called David Mage. I’m trying to solve his murder.” He said finally. I creased my brow in confusion. That couldn’t be right.  
“Murder? The newspapers said he died in a car crash.” He nodded, spinning the wheel. I winced as my shoulder crashed against the door.  
“Sorry.” He muttered, and I waved away his apology.  
“Don’t worry about it. I’d rather it be me than my car.” He laughed slightly, and it sounded husky, as if he didn’t laugh often.

“The people who murdered him covered up their evidence. They placed his body in a way and place so as to make it look like an accident.” He said as the car shuddered over a hill. I nodded casually, as if this didn’t shock or surprise me. I had met David several times; He was a patron of the Home I spent the majority of my life in. He didn’t seem exciting or important enough for somebody to want to kill him.

“Right… Um… And the chocolate?” He shrugged slightly.  
“It would look suspicious if I didn’t buy anything at the gas station.” He paused for a moment.  
“And, they’re my favourite.” He admitted, and I laughed shakily.  
“Mine too.” He smiled slightly, and pulled out from a throng of trees onto an empty road. Finally, I relaxed my hand from the edges of my seat. I hadn’t even realised I had been gripping it. I gingerly cracked my stiff knuckles. 

“So… Do you often steal cars and kidnap innocent bystanders?” I asked casually, and he shook his head.  
“Stealing cars… Yeah, I guess. And I didn’t kidnap you- I didn’t!” He protested. “I didn’t even know you were there.”  
“Sure, sure.” I teased. “Am I the first person you’ve ever kidnapped?”  
He rolled his eyes, and I got the feeling that he did that a lot- Or maybe it was just because of me.  
“For the last time, I did not kidnap you!”  
“Are you sure?” I asked, earning an icy glare. I didn’t know why I was aggravating the man who had stolen my car with me still in it. I was stupid that way.  
“If I was going to kidnap anyone, I’d kidnap someone less annoying.” He muttered, and I grinned.  
“You love it, admit it.” I teased, poking his shoulder. He smiled slightly in amusement.  
“I guess I could just shoot you” He pondered, and I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.  
“You have a gun?” I asked, and he smirked.   
“I have several.” He said, and there was a tight silence as I processed this.  
“Relax, I’m joking.” He said, rolling his eyes.  
“So you don’t have guns?” He frowned.  
“No, I have guns. I’m joking about shooting you; I don’t want to have to deal with your body.” I nodded slowly.  
“Ah. Right. That would put a little dampener on the road-trip.”  
“This is not a road trip.”  
“Well, you’re no fun,” I pouted, and he sighed.  
“So I’ve been told.”  
“Um… Where are we even going?” I asked, looking out the window. We were surrounded by hulking trees, and the road seemed to stretch on forever.  
“I can’t tell you that. It’s for your own safety that you don’t know.” I groaned loudly.  
“You kidnapped me, stole my car, broke my phone and threatened to shoot me, but you won’t even tell me where we’re going?” He rolled his eyes again.  
“A safe place. A hide-out if you will.” His tone indicated that he’d reveal no more about our destination.  
“Fantastic. Why on Earth would we need a safe place?” I asked sarcastically, thinking about the figures in black and bullet holes in the windscreen.  
“You’d be surprised,” he muttered. There was an awkward silence.

“So… what kind of person steals cars, solves murders, owns guns, gets shot at by mysterious figures dressed all in back and kidnaps random bakers?” I asked, counting each point on my fingers. He didn’t answer, instead staring intently at the road and chewing his cheek. I didn’t know why; the road was straight as an arrow and there were no other cars in sight.  
“Are you a spy? Do you work for an agency?” I asked, and he slowly closed his eyes in exasperation, sighing before opening them again.  
“I am a spy, so to speak. I work alone.”  
“Isn’t better to work with other people? You know, having a broader range of knowledge, someone to watch your back.” His jaw was clenched tightly as he responded.  
“Yeah? You might think so but that isn’t always how it ends up.”  
I got the feeling that he was speaking from experience, but before I could ask him about it he had changed the subject.  
“So… You’re a baker?” He asked, his tone forced casual. I nodded.  
“Yes, but-”  
“Do you own a bakery?” He interrupted, and it was clear that this topic was out of bounds. I sighed.  
“Yes. 3 years ago I opened up my bakery, called ‘Snow’s Delights.’” His eyes widened.  
“No way. You’re Simon?”  
“Um, Yeah. That’s me. How did you know my name?” He rolled his eyes.  
“There’s a certificate on the wall saying ‘Founded by Simon Snow, 2013”  
“Oh. Wait, you’ve been there?” He laughed drily.  
“Snow. I’ve been going there every day for the past year. And I’ve only been living there a year.”  
“Really? Wow.” I was slightly flattered that this dangerous man was a regular at my quaint little bakery.  
“Do you bake everything in the bakery?” He asked.  
“I have helpers, but yeah, I do.”  
“I’ve never seen you there before though.” He said, sounding almost… disappointed.  
“I’m always stuck in the kitchen out the back. I only come out to the front of the shop to help clean up at the end of the day.” He nodded to himself.  
“I think your bakery is the only place I’ve ever been to where you can get good food and quality coffee. Anywhere else is either one or the other, or neither.” He laughed, and I smiled widely.  
“You can’t imagine how good it is to hear that. Hey, maybe I could put that on our website?” He laughed shortly.  
“Sure, why not. Just don’t quote me on it, I’m trying to stay under the radar.” I rolled my eyes in what I hoped was a good imitation of him.  
“I can’t, idiot, I don’t know your name.”  
“Ah. Right.” There was a pause, and I sighed in exasperation.  
“So, are you going to tell me?” He pursed his lips, glancing at me.  
“Come on, we’re going to be stuck with each other for the foreseeable future. I need to refer to you as something other than ‘idiot.’”  
“Idiot? I’ll have you know that I came top of the state in my year 12 exams.”  
“Yes, but you also stole a car with somebody still in it.” He nodded thoughtfully.  
“Fair point. And I didn’t kidnap you!” I laughed loudly, before remembering what we were talking about before.  
“So… What is your name?” He sighed.  
“You can call me Basi- Baz.”  
“Your name is Bazibaz?” I asked in confusion. He rolled his eyes.  
“No, Baz.”  
“Is that a nickname?” I asked, and he shrugged.  
“I suppose. I don’t want to tell you my whole name, so Baz will have to do.”  
“Oh. Why not?”  
“Why not what?”  
“Why can’t I know your whole name?” He let out a long, frustrated breath.  
“You’re already in enough danger just by being with me. I don’t know if the people shooting at us saw you, but if they did they already know everything there is to know about you, and your sister. That’s why I can’t let you go yet; They’ll find you and assume that you’re working with me. And if they take you, which they will, you’ll be in more danger than you can imagine.” I wanted to ask who ‘they’ were, but Baz looked so angry already I didn’t want to push it. His knuckles were white for clenching the steering wheel so tightly, and his jaw was clenched. His eyes seemed to bore holes through the windscreen they were so intense, and he looked extremely dangerous. Even so, I wasn’t scared, knowing that he wasn’t mad at me.  
“So when do you plan on letting me go?” I asked, my voice small. He sighed and shook his head.  
“I don’t know. Your safety is one of my first priorities at the moment. I vowed a long time ago that I would not let my work endanger other peoples lives again.”

He sounded stiff and emotionless, as if he were trying to suppress a painful memory. I didn’t know what to do; I wasn’t the best at comforting people. Usually if Penny was upset, I’d just hold her and stroke her hair or back as she cried, or listen as she ranted. Sometimes, Penny joked that she only kept me round for my hugs and baking talent. When it came to words I was useless. I never knew what to say, and if I tried to speak it came out stuttered and clumsy. I couldn’t hug him, knowing that would be unwelcome and also dangerous in a car, and I didn’t know what to say. I settled for reaching out and awkwardly putting my hand on his shoulder, letting it rest there for a moment.   
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine, I know how to pack a punch if I need to. And besides... I feel safe with you.” He laughed slightly, sounding surprised.   
“I stole your car with you still in it, got you shot at, broke your phone and am speeding off to somewhere in the middle of nowhere with you, and you feel safe?” I shrugged, smiling slightly.   
“I don’t know, there’s just something about you… I guess I’ve always been dumb that way.” I laughed, and he grinned.   
“Would it be dumb if I tried to guess your name?” I teased, and he arched his brow.  
“Very. I’m an unpredictable criminal that you barely know, you don’t want to anger me.” I could tell he was joking, so I laughed along with him.  
“Ah, I get it. It’s something horribly embarrassing, like Buggins, or Beaufort.” I asked, and he shook his head.  
“That is entirely incorrect.” He said, his tone of disapproval covering up the small smile playing on his lips.   
“Damn.” I grinned.  
“You don’t want to know my proper name anyway; It’s long and a heck of a mouthful. I don’t know what my parents were thinking, maybe they were just being cruel.” He laughed, and I found myself laughing too.  
“My name is easy, just Simon Snow. Short and simple.” He nodded to himself.  
“I like it. It has a nice rhythm to it.  
“Snow is actually my middle name; I don’t know what my surname is. I was only a couple days old when I was put into a care home.” I admitted. I didn’t know why I was telling him this; He was practically a stranger, a stranger who had stolen my car and kidnapped me. But something about him felt comfortable, safe. I laughed inwardly; How ironic.  
He was looking at me sadly, frowning slightly as he chewed his cheek.  
“I’m really sorry, Simon. Honestly.” His tone was so sincere it almost made my heart ache.  
“Nah, it’s ok. I never knew my parents, so I could never miss them really. And Penny’s family has fostered me ever since the ninth grade, so really I’m one of the luckiest people in the world.” He smiled at me then, the first proper smile I’d seen on his face. It suited him better than scowling.  
“That’s a good way of thinking. You’re one of those glass half full kind of people?” He asked. I shrugged.  
“I suppose, yeah.” He nodded to himself.  
“Maybe I should keep you around for a bit.” He teased. “I’ll need some positivity.”   
“Are you sure you’re not just keeping me around for my dazzling personality and dashing good looks?” I asked, and he smirked.  
“Maybe.” He said, his voice low, and I felt my heart thud in my chest.   
“Ha ha.” I said drily, praying my face didn’t turn red. I was always quite likely to blush, and even though I knew he wasn’t flirting or anything, it was hard to tell my face that. Not that I cared either way. At all.

“So… Um… Bartholomew?” I asked. He rolled his eyes mightily, something that should have looked childish but instead made him look almost alluring.   
“No. And besides, I’m not going to tell you.” I grunted in irritation.   
“Bernard?”   
“No.”  
“Baldwin?”  
“Definately not,”  
“Buster?” I asked through a wide yawn.  
“No. And you should nap, there’s still a while to go.”  
“Nah, nah, I’m fine. Bradley?” He sighed.  
“Nope.”   
I thought for a moment.  
“Bryant?” He shook his head.  
“You’re never going to give up, are you?” He asked.  
“Nope,” I replied, yawning again. He rolled his eyes slightly.  
“Snow?”   
“Yeah?”   
“Get some sleep. You’ll still be stuck with me when you wake up.”  
“Yaaaay” I sung quietly as I snuggled deeper into my blankets. He laughed to himself.   
“G’night Baz.”  
“Sleep well, Snow.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I've been really busy. Hope you enjoy, any feedback, constructive criticism, ideas etc are more than welcome! Thanks for reading.  
> ___________________
> 
> I know nothing about boats...

When I awoke, the sky outside was alight with sunset. It had been the afternoon when Baz had kidnapped me, so I figured I must have somehow managed to sleep for a couple hours. That also meant it had been a while since I had eaten, creating an uncomfortable hole in my stomach. I noticed that several plastic shopping bags had appeared on the back seat, holding what looked like groceries. Huh. Baz had gone shopping whilst I had been asleep. I stretched, arching my back from the seat and cracking my neck.   
“Hey” I said through a yawn, rubbing sleep from my eyes.   
He laughed slightly.  
“What?” I asked, confused as to what I said that was funny.  
“You yawn a bit like a bear.” He explained apologetically, and I laughed.  
“Not you too! Penny always says that I must be part bear, because I sleep too much during winter and yawn obnoxiously loud.” He smiled in amusement, and pulled the car to a halt. I peered out of the window. We were perched on top of a cliff, overlooking the sea. It was a breathtaking sight, with the clear, bright sunset reflected off the water. Golden sunlight illuminated Baz’s face, highlighting his cheeks and brows.  
“It’s beautiful. But, what are we doing here? You’re not going to go mad and drive us off the cliff are you? Because if you do you are so paying for the paint-job.” He laughed, and pulled out what looked to be a small remote from a cord around his neck.   
“We aren’t there yet.” He said, and pressed a button. Suddenly, we seemed to sink through the ground, the horizon getting higher as we got lower. I grabbed the seat in fear and whipped my head to face him.  
“Wha-what’s going on? Baz?”   
“Relax. We’re just accessing my secret garage.” He said, sounding nonchalant as if this wasn’t one of the weirdest experiences of my life.  
“Secret garage?” I questioned, and he rolled his eyes.  
“Yes secret garage. We have to get to the island somehow. It’s where I store my boat.” I blinked.  
“You have a top-secret garage... for a boat?” I asked, bewildered, but he just laughed in response.   
We were surrounded by rock, enclosing us from about a meter away from the windows. I assumed we were on some kind of platform camouflaged to look like grass, lowering us in a partly natural elevator. It was dark, very dark, and I could feel my breath quicken as claustrophobia settled into my skin.  
“Are you ok?” Baz asked, concern in his voice.   
“I- Yeah,” I gasped. “I’m fine, I’m oka- Oh, wow!” We suddenly emerged into a large open space, illuminated by bright white lights along the rocky walls. The lift came to a halt and I looked around in amazement, ignoring Baz’s slight laugh at my incredulity. It was as if we were in a massive cave, made two thirds of a solid rock platform with the rest open water. On the flat stretch of rock were several expensive-looking cars parked neatly in a row, jet-skis, a hang-glider, a kayak and a surfboard, for some reason. Running along the side, open ocean slapped against the edge of the rock, several feet below. A boat was docked there, bobbing up and down in correspondence to the waves. It was a yacht, painted the same dark blue as the ocean, ‘Mordelia’ etched along the side in curling white letters. It was sleek and shiny, and looked brand new. Everything in the cave looked brand new, except for my car.  
Baz’s voice was full of amusement; “Close your mouth, Snow. You’re going to catch a fly.” I hastily shut my mouth, flushing slightly in embarrassment.   
“All this is yours? It’s amazing!”  
“Yeah. It’s very useful.” He said, pulling my car up alongside a glossy mercedes. Looking down the line of cars, I could tell that they alone would cost more than my life was worth. I wasn’t a car person, but I could tell what a high-class ferrari was when I saw one.  
“How can you possibly afford all of this?” I asked in wonder, before flushing at my rude question. Baz shrugged, not seeming to mind.  
“I get payed well for my work.” He said simply.  
“Oh. What exactly is your work? Do you always solve murders?” I was curious to find out more about him, but he gave me a look that told me my questions would remain unanswered, and gracefully stepped out of my car. I sighed before following suit, making sure to grab the case from it’s place at my feet. I ran to the boot, collecting my suitcase and the bags of food. No way was I going to some weird island with a mysterious kidnapper without snacks. Or a spare change of clothes.  
“Who’s paying you for this work then?” I asked, not ready to let him get away so easily.  
“No one.” He said quietly. “This, I’m doing for myself.” 

The cave was cool and smelled fresh; Like saltwater and seaweed. I took a breath and looked around for Baz. He was lifting the surfboard I had noticed earlier, carrying it effortlessly under his arm. He strode toward the boat, backpack slung over his shoulder. I hovered, uncertain of what to do, and he paused to turn and face me.  
“I can’t let you go yet, I’m sorry. You’re going to have to come with me.” He said apologetically, and I hated the relief I felt at his words.   
Being with Baz seemed… Exciting. Even mindless banter with him, watching him laugh or smile or even roll his eyes made my blood fizz with excitement, my heart beat erratically. I put it down to the fact that he was probably the most dangerous person I had met, and this was the closest thing to an adventure I had ever had. I was bound to feel excited about that, right?  
Baz had placed the board on the boat’s deck, and was using a rope to pull the boat to the edge of the rock. I couldn’t help but notice the way his arms flexed against the strain, or how his back rippled with muscle under his tight shirt. I swallowed, realising I had been staring again. Luckily, he was still facing away from me, and didn’t notice.   
“Come on, then. Hop on.” He bowed me sarcastically towards the boat, and I peered down uncertainly. The deck of the boat was a good meter below me, and was rocking back and forth.  
“What… You want me to jump?” I asked, and he raised a perfect brow.  
“No, I want you to fly. Yes I want you to jump, it’s not that hard.” I gulped.  
“That’s easy for you to say. You could probably jump onto a speeding train from horseback whilst holding a twenty kilograms of explosives.” I blurted, panicking slightly. I was more afraid of embarrassing myself in my attempt than hurting myself. His eyebrow raised further still, and I blushed.  
“What makes you think I could do that?” He asked, his voice full of amusement.  
“We-well, it’s just… Well, you know… I, ah… I mean…” I stammered, and he smirked.  
“Use your words, Snow.”  
“I noticed that you’re very… Um… Athletic.” His other brow raised to join the first, and I felt my neck flush.  
“Athletic?” He asked, and I rolled my eyes.  
“You know… Strong, fit. Yes, athletic!” I sighed in exasperation. He grinned wickedly.   
“Were you looking at my muscles, Snow?” He asked, his voice low and husky. I decided to ignore him.  
“Here you go, you ass” I said, shoving the case into his free arm as he grinned. I threw my bags into the boat, and jumped. My feet hit the deck and shot out from underneath me. Unceremoniously, I fell and landed flat on my ass.   
“Are you ok?” Baz asked, obviously trying not to laugh.  
“Yeah yeah, I’m fine. I would have landed that if the deck wasn’t moving.” I said, scrambling to my feet.   
“If you say so,” he teased, grinning.   
“I would have!”  
“I know, I know, you’re the picture of grace. Now help me with these bags will you?” He passed me groceries, then his backpack and the case. I carefully placed them at my feet, and leant against the railing, crossing my arms. “Let’s see you do it then, if you’re so great.” I said. He shrugged and leapt gracefully into the boat, landing lightly on the balls of his feet beside me.   
“You’ve had practise.” I grumbled, but he only laughed in response before walking into the cabin.  
Unsure of whether to follow or not, I settled for sitting on the leather seat running around the perimeter of the outer platform, pulling my bag to my chest as the boat came alive with a soft purr of the engine. I could see a spa at the end of the boat, though why you’d need a spa on a boat was beyond me, and a seemingly fully stocked bar plus an empty mini fridge for some reason. It certainly was an expensive-looking boat, and again I wondered how Baz could afford this. We slowly edged out from the dock and started towards a flat wall of rock. I was about to question if Baz had actually gone insane and was contemplating killing us via rock collision when it slowly rose, exactly like a garage door. I almost laughed, and then we were out on open sea, speeding off towards the distance. The sun had slipped past the horizon and the sky was gradually getting darker, a few stars just starting to show. Unable to see very much and tired of the constant spray of salty water in my face, I followed to where Baz was steering the boat.   
“Snow.” He greeted, not turning around, and I wondered how he noticed me over the sound of the sea and engine. He was holding the steering wheel loosely in one hand, his posture relaxed.   
“This safe place… It’s an island?” I asked, curious. He adjusted the wheel slightly and sighed.  
“Yes, it is. I’m the only one who knows about it. No one has a cause to go there, it’s quite small, and I’ve disguised any traces of my being there well. I found it a long time ago when I… ah… accidently ran my boat into it.”   
I burst out laughing, and he grinned sheepishly.   
“How did you manage that?” I asked, leaning against the wall.  
“It was dark, ok! I was being chased, so I threw them off and quickly left on my boat whilst they thought I was still heading north, intending to just float around for a bit. Non-stop I drove, further and further out to sea, not stopping to eat or sleep. That was a mistake. I think I fell asleep at the wheel because the next thing I remember I was being jolted awake by my boat scraping along the ground, and voila. Secret island. I came back, built a house and wharf, and I’ve been using it ever since.” I nodded appreciatively, impressed.   
“Well, you’re not the only one.” I said, and his brow creased in confusion.  
“What, you have a secret island too?” He asked, and I shook my head.  
“No, I mean you’re not the only one who knows about it now. I know too.”  
“Ah…” There was a pause. “I guess I could just throw you overboard.” He said, and I swatted his arm.   
“Or, I could just swear to secrecy. Scouts honor.”  
“Were you ever a scout?” He asked, and I grinned.  
“Nope.” He groaned, and I laughed.  
“But seriously. I’d never tell anyone, not even if they offered me enough money for my own island and boat.” He smiled slightly.  
“What if they offered you a lifetime supply of mint aero bars?” He asked.  
“Oh, I’d definitely sell you out, no question about it.” I said seriously, and he rolled his eyes, pulling a mint aero from his pocket.  
“I give you this, will you swear to not tell anyone?”   
“You have my word,” I said solemnly, taking it from him. I unwrapped it, breaking it in two and offering half to Baz.   
“Here you go… Bainsfair?”   
“That is not my name,” he said, and leant forward, plucking it out of my hand with his teeth. I hoped I wasn’t blushing.  
“Um… Ballin?” He shook his head, sighing.  
“Baldwin?”   
“That’s it, I’m throwing you overboard.”  
I laughed.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read, I hope you enjoyed. Constructive criticism, ideas, feed back etc is more than welcome! Thank you


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